Secuno
ENNL
Book demo

CVE-2020-0638

Microsoft Update Notification Manager Privilege Escalation

7.8 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)Used in ransomwareEPSS 2.37%
  1. Published14 Jan 2020
  2. Added to CISA KEV23 May 2022
  3. Remediation due13 Jun 2022
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

Microsoft Update Notification Manager contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation.

Added to KEV: 23 May 2022Federal remediation due: 13 Jun 2022Used in ransomware

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Update Notification Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Microsoft Windows 10 1709all versions
Microsoft Windows 10 1803all versions
Microsoft Windows 10 1809all versions
Microsoft Windows 10 1903all versions
Microsoft Windows 10 1909all versions
Microsoft Windows Server 1803all versions
Microsoft Windows Server 1903all versions
Microsoft Windows Server 1909all versions
Microsoft Windows Server 2019all versions

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

References

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

CVE-2026-1078108.1
Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. From 2.0.0 until 2.5.0,…
CVE-2026-890918.8
A flaw was found in ansible-core. When installing a collection with `ansible-galaxy…
CVE-2026-1065008.5
Backstage is an open framework for building developer portals. Prior to 3.3.1, 3.4.1,…
CVE-2026-1064868.5
Backstage is an open framework for building developer portals. Prior to 0.3.10 in…
CVE-2026-1018949.1
The decompress package for Node.js extracts archives. Prior to 10.2.2 and 11.1.4, the…
CVE-2026-877999.9
Improper link resolution in the migration receive path in Canonical LXD versions 4.0…

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2020-0638 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-0638 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 23 May 2022. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.

How severe is CVE-2020-0638?

CVE-2020-0638 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 2.37% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2020-0638?

Affected products include Microsoft Windows 10 1709, Microsoft Windows 10 1803, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 1903, Microsoft Windows 10 1909, and 4 more.

How do I fix CVE-2020-0638?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-0638 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

See how prioritisation worksBook a demo

Get Patch this first every Monday

Five vulnerabilities that matter this week, ranked on real exploitation. Plain language, one email, no spam.

You can unsubscribe with one click from every issue. We handle your details as described in our privacy policy.

Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.